Increasing your speed will make you a better runner overall, assuming you avoid losing your aerobic capacity at the same time. Running faster will improve your leg strength, promote muscle retention and growth, and if you program speed work correctly, you will be able to improve your aerobic endurance. If you want to get better at running long distances, you should invest time and energy into increasing your speed.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Running
When people talk about running, most people mean aerobic running, which is performed at low-intensity over long distances and requires mostly endurance. You don't necessarily have to run fast; you just have to keep going. Anaerobic running involves sprinting and shorter distances such as 800 m. This kind of running focuses on speed and intensity, rather than endurance. Sprinters, for instance, specialize on shorter distances and are not always good at longer distances.
Why You Should Add Speed Work
Speed work is essential to runners of all distances because it enables you to run faster before your body fatigues. According to an article on the University of Mexico website by professors Len Kravitz and Lance Dalleck, running ability is determined largely by your lactate threshold, the pace at which lactic acid buildup in your muscles causes them to slow down. Distance runners need a high lactate threshold so they can run farther, faster, before they start to feel the effects of lactic acid buildup. The best way to increase your lactate threshold is through speed training.
Keep it Varied
The best way to incorporate speed training into your running training is to keep it varied. Intervals, in which you run a set distance a set number of times as fast as you can, with rest between each run, is a popular method.
Another popular and effective speed training method is the tempo run. This involves running at a set pace -- usually 85 percent to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate -- for 20 to 35 minutes.
All Speed
CrossFit Endurance, a training program now used by many ultra-marathoners, recommends a training program composed entirely of strength and conditioning along with anaerobic speed work. The logic is that anaerobic training has all the benefits of aerobic training with none of the downsides. This program provides a large variety of workouts, ranging from short intervals to more creative timed intervals. It is an intense program however, and requires a familiarity with weight-training as well.
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